


Winning a Knock Out

by SubtextEquals



Series: Living, Loving, Fighting [2]
Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 18:08:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3259373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SubtextEquals/pseuds/SubtextEquals
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Agron has a lot on his mind. But what stands out more than the MMA fights he has, is where he stands with his not-boyfriend Nasir, who is reluctant to pursue anything more than sex. After an injury, they both have to reevaluate what they are to each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winning a Knock Out

Nasir’s hair, grown long now, fanned out on the mattress beneath him. Agron brushed some of his locks back under Nasir’s neck so he could slide his lips along the skin that stretched from his shoulder to throat. His teeth dug in on more than one occasion, leaving small marks that would no doubt be attributed to someone else. But they both would know.

Nasir let out a soft moan that turn into a laugh. He ran his hands up from Agron’s back to dig his fingers in his hair. He pushed him closer. Agron opened his mouth wider and bit down on flesh to leave a purple bruise in the shape of his teeth.

“I’m going to show up to my match with your bite marks still on me,” Nasir said.

“Should I make more?” Agron slid down to nip at Nasir’s collarbone.

“Yesss.”

It never ceased to make Agron smile, the way Nasir drew out some words into a hiss after sex. It made him wish sometimes that his name was something else, something that would sound better on Nasir’s lips. Not that he didn’t love it when Nasir cried out his name. God, sometimes that was his favorite part.

Agron dragged his tongue down Nasir’s chest to circle one of his nipples. Nasir’s hands pressed flat on his shoulders as he went lower, then Nasir’s fingers pulled on his hair.

“You’ll keep me here all night.” Nasir laughed.

“Is that a complaint?”

“No.”

Agron moved up to kiss Nasir’s lips. “Stay and you won’t regret it.”

“I’m sure I won’t.” Nasir smiled and stroked down Agron’s spine. “But I should go.”

Agron was about to run his hand over Nasir’s torso but he stopped, stared at him for a moment, and then rolled off of him and onto his back.

They’d been fucking for months. After a few weeks, when it’d become clear this wasn’t just going to be a passing thing with them, they’d switched from having sex in hotel rooms to Agron’s room. But Nasir always left before morning, sometimes after Agron had passed out. He’d never treated it as anything more than them fooling around. Agron was alright with it…

But he also wasn’t alright with it.

Nasir was still on his back but he looked over at Agron, his own brow furrowing. “You really want me to stay?”

Agron rubbed his temple before propping himself up on his elbow. “It’s fine that you don’t want to. It is.”

“Not for you.” Nasir’s hands no longer wandered over Agron’s body. Instead he lay still, watching.

“If that’s what you need. It’s fine.”

Nasir sighed and he also moved onto his side so that he was facing Agron. “You’re great. I’m glad I met you but--”

Agron fought back a cringe at the words he knew Nasir was going to say. “Please don’t tell me you ‘don’t do relationships.’”

“I was going to phrase it differently.” Nasir sounded apologetic, his face certainly held that expression. “It’s more that I’m not good at them.”

“And?”

“And I’m not good at them.” Nasir stated it as though it were an immutable rule of nature and a good enough reason to never get involved.

Agron guessed there was more to it than that, whether Nasir was straight up lying or he didn’t care to go into it. He couldn’t be too angry at him for either.

“Hey,” he said. “If that’s what you want, we can just keep on fucking. I don’t have a problem with that.”

Nasr nodded. Silence stretched between them until Nasir grabbed Agron’s thigh and squeezed. “Do you want one more time before I go?”

Agron grabbed Nasir’s hips and pulled Nasir on top of him. “Sure,” he said and let the press of their bodies ease all tension away.

 

Agron’s trainer was out of town and he needed to vent some steam. The natural solution was to work out with Spartacus, then head back to his place to talk. He took a shower then let Spartacus wash off as well before they sat down on the couch, both dripping onto the cushions, both exhausted.

Spartacus looked at Agron’s neck. Agron knew that there must be a mark there, left by Nasir’s lips, but he didn’t bother to cover it. The fact that Agron was fucking Spartacus’s new protege was an open secret between the three of them.

“Duro keeps asking who your girlfriend is,” Spartacus said.

Agron snorted. “Duro can’t even tell I’m gay. He hasn’t earned the right to know who I’m fucking.”

“You could trust your brother more.”

“I trust him. I think he’ll have a seizure when he finds out, but I trust him. And I gave him enough hints in high school he could have pieced it together if he wanted to.”

“If any of your relationships go anywhere, he’ll have to find out at some point.”

Agron found himself wanting a drink but it wasn’t the water he’d just finished. “That won’t be an issue. Nasir isn’t interested in anything more than a fuck.” Agron was certain he did a good job at not sulking but he did burrow into the cushions as he leaned back against the couch.

Spartacus sighed. “Agron, I didn’t mean for you to fall for him.” He sounded half sympathetic and half annoyed but the shake of his head gave more emphasis on the latter.

“I didn’t mean to either. But he’s really great in bed and just watching him fight makes me--”

“Agron.” Spartacus stopped him. “You don’t like him just because he turns you on during a fight, do you?”

“Oh fuck’s sake, Spartacus. If it were just that there’d be other people to fuck.” He recalled the image of Nasir knocking out his last opponent. “Not anyone as skilled as that…” he added.

“I should have expected that. You usually don’t go for meaningless sex.”

Agron was not keen on keeping the discussion focused on him. But he still wanted to keep this conversation going for a while longer. “Spartacus, he’s not the type to lie--”

Spartacus shook his head before Agron could form it into a question.

“Then do you know anything that might have happened?”

“We don’t talk about his personal life,” Spartacus replied. He glanced up above Agron’s head for a moment as his lips quirked into a thoughtful expression. “We don’t talk about it at all.”

“We talk some,” Agron admitted. Though there were large blank subjects and largely, Agron didn’t know about Nasir’s life. He just knew what he was like.

Which put him on even ground with Spartacus, as far as he could tell. That wasn’t comforting.

 

Agron and Nasir were fuck buddies or maybe they had graduated to friends with benefits. Whatever the case, Agron wasn’t required to show up to any of Nasir’s matches but he never missed one. At first, it was just so he could show, get insanely aroused watching him fight, then rent a hotel room so Nasir could ride him until they were both senseless. While he was definitely still looking forward to that, these days he also felt a sense of gnawing worry whenever Nasir put in his mouth guard, wrapped his hands, and stepped up to face his opponent.

This time he was set against this whiny little shit Agron had bumped into before though never fought, given that he was a heavy weight and these two were light weight. Tiberius Crassus. Agron had told Nasir to kick the little fuckface’s ass. It seemed he’d taken those words to heart.

Agron almost had second hand embarrassment watching the fight.

Nasir kept punching Crassus’s face in, sweeping his legs out from under him, and punching him again whenever he rose.

Crassus had been floored. He was curled up and not moving and that was when Nasir stepped back and scanned the crowd. His eyes quickly fell on Agron. His full focus was on him as Agron grinned and it stayed there even after Agron’s expression turned serious as Crassus made it onto his feet again to lunge at Nasir.

Nasir just kicked back with his legs, causing Crassus to sprawl forward and smash his head against the mat.

“Fuck…” Agron shook his head in amazement as Nasir found his eyes again.

 

After the fight, just before climbing in his car, he sent Nasir a single text. _I want to take you now._

As busy as Nasir was, he didn’t expect a reply right away, so he went ahead and started the car to get back home and wait. Preferably with no clothes on. But the response came almost immediately.

_My place._ And then along with it was an address complete with an apartment number.

...Nasir’s place?

After the conversation they’d had earlier that week, Agron didn’t know what to make of this. He didn’t think that Nasir was deliberately being cruel but this was playing with him. And fuck, if Agron wasn’t going to go along with it.

 

He didn’t know how, but Nasir almost beat him to the apartment complex. He pulled in just as Agron was getting out of his own car.

Agron grinned as Nasir stepped towards him. “If I didn’t know better I’d ask you to rip my clothes off right here.”

Nasir grabbed his shirt and dragged him toward the stairs. “Come on.”

Agron resisted sweeping back Nasir’s hair and kissing his nape or pressing his hands to the man’s ass and squeezing. But they agreed to try and not be obvious in public so they didn’t ruin their careers and this was in public. Although judging by past experience they were going to be fucking loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

Nasir missed the keyhole on the first try.

“Sure you didn’t get a concussion?” Agron reached to take the key from him.

Nasir pulled it away and smacked his hand. Some of the skin on his knuckles cracked open again at the movement. “He had the weakest punch I’ve felt.”

He opened the door, seized the collar of Agron’s shirt, and pulled him inside. Agron closed the door with his foot and waited more or less patiently as Nasir locked it again, then let Nasir jerk him down to meet him in a kiss. Once they parted, Agron grinned at Nasir, who smiled at him in return. Nasir let go of Agron’s shirt and led him back into his apartment. On the way, Agron glanced around.

He could only imagine what Nasir thought of Agron’s own apartment, hastily put together with the first furniture he found that was comfortable, nothing hanging on the walls. Here everything was color coordinated in reds in the living room, blues in the small dining room. The couch looked like it’d be just as comfortable to fuck on as Agron’s bed. If Nasir would let him, he’d ask to try that one out. If he’d let him.

Once they got to the bedroom, Agron lost focus on anything else other than the bed. He grabbed Nasir’s wrists and half pushed half guided him onto the mattress while Nasir laughed.

“Was I that good?” Nasir asked as he started to roll onto his back.

Agron gripped Nasir’s hips to keep him on his hands and knees. “You were great.” Agron removed his shirt. “And I hate that little shitface.”

“Me too.” Nasir moved to sit and Agron was about to push him back again when he saw that Nasir was taking off his shoes.

Agron kicked off his own then went for Nasir’s jeans. He easily unzipped them before pulling them down. “Where do you keep the lube?”

“I thought you were going to bring it.” He could hear the grin in Nasir’s voice.

Agron gave Nasir’s ass a light slap. “Tease.”

While Nasir leaned forward to get the lube from his nightstand, Agron pulled Nasir’s jeans off the rest of the way, along with his boxers, then took care of his own, taking care to remove a condom first.

“You’re still wearing a shirt.” Agron tugged on the offending item of clothing.

Nasir glanced over his shoulder as he rose up on his knees. He handed the lube back to Agron, then, smirking, pulled his shirt over his head. Agron immediately saw the bruise on his side and his hand went up to let his fingers dance around the darkening skin.

“No touching there,” Nasir chided.

“I’m not touching there.”

Agron pushed Nasir back down onto the bed as he got the lube on his fingers. He parted Nasir’s thighs before he slipped a finger inside him. This was always quick for them what with how many times they fucked.

Agron reached around Nasir to stroke him and was rewarded by a slight shiver that went through Nasir’s body. Nasir shifted his hips to move back against him before thrusting forward into his hand. Agron saw the way his chest filled, steadiness giving way to rapid, uneven breaths.

He made sure to get Nasir close to the edge, watching the way his body shook and hearing the small noises of encouragement and pleasure that escaped him. When Nasir was shaking, when he was thrusting back so hard against his fingers that he was fucking himself on them, Agron pulled away to grasp his cock and push it inside of him. He held himself still for several moments and ran his hand down Nasir’s spine until he thrust back into him.

“Don’t tease,” Nasir panted.

“Only waiting for you.”

Agron gripped Nasir’s hips and thrust into him, harder than Nasir’s movements had been, and he quickly rocked into him again, over and over, until Nasir didn’t support himself with his hands but with the length of his arms.

Agron could still see the image of Nasir stepping forward to meet his opponent. Nasir’s eyes had locked onto Tiberius with a brilliant focus and, when he’d finished battering the man, he’d turned that same gaze on Agron.

The memory made Agron slam into Nasir until he was sweating, until he was grunting and digging his nails into Nasir’s skin. And when he came back to himself, he slipped his hand around Nasir’s cock again but several quick strokes later, he let go to bring Nasir closer and feel more of his flesh pressed against him.

He wrapped his arms under Nasir’s shoulders and lifted him as he moved into a seated position. Nasir looked over his shoulders as he settled in Agron’s lap and Agron leaned forward to take a kiss from him, just as he took his body when Nasir reached between them. He grabbed his cock and brought it inside of him again. Nasir was the first one to pick up the pace. Agron ceded to him, sitting still as Nasir rode him. He brushed Nasir’s hair away to kiss his neck and dig his teeth into his shoulders. He let his breath ghost across Nasir’s skin.

Only when Nasir was breathless did he curl his hand around Nasir’s cock. Once he saw him to completion, Nasir shook. Agron took it from there, thrusting even after Nasir had nearly melted against him, each muscle at ease. Yet, after a short time, Nasir recovered and met his thrusts with purpose.

Agron closed his eyes when he reached his climax. His cum stained hand slid over Nasir’s stomach. Nasir clasped his own hand over his and squeezed until Agron’s moan stopped echoing in the bedroom.

Nasir looked up at Agron. He turned and kissed his throat as Agron’s arms enfolded him.

“Has anyone told you that you’re the most incredible man they’ve met?” Agron spoke without thinking and not caring to either as he laughed.

“Not until just now.” Nasir nipped at Agron’s skin. “Do you want to stay?” he murmured.

“Yeah,” Agron replied immediately, then blinked as it settled in. He shifted to look down at Nasir. “You want me to?”

“I do.” Nasir climbed out of Agron’s lap, removed the condom from his cock, and effortlessly tossed it into a trashcan several feet away. “Because you’re not getting any sleep tonight.” He pinned Agron to the bed, hovering over him with a look that was at once wild and seductive. “I’m taking you now.”

 

Agron didn’t wake quickly from sleep. First he smelled the strong scent of sex, then he felt the bed moving under him, followed by a groan that did not sound as pleased as the ones he’d heard last night.

He opened his eyes and turned to look at his-- whatever he was to him. “Nasir?”

Nasir had rolled onto his side with his back to Agron and was slowly easing himself up off the bed. The bruise on his side was a vivid purple and nearly black at the center. “You can sleep some more. I need a shower.”

Agron sat up just as Nasir had made it onto his feet. Nasir’s body stiffened, then he took a breath and walked to the door.

“Do you need ibuprofen?”

Nasir waved his hand dismissively without looking back. “Just a shower.”

Agron started to get up but Nasir closed the door behind him as he left. Agron sat back on the bed and stretched. Nasir’s side barely seemed to bother him last night, what with everything they had done. But it was always worse the morning after. Actually, catching a glimpse of Nasir’s alarm clock, it was closer to noon.

Agron glanced around the room. Now that Nasir wasn’t here to focus on, he could make more observations of his home. There were some abstract paintings on the wall and others where it looked like people were screaming at him or trying to punch someone else. He’d never seen any of these paintings before. He was sure he’d remember a boxer decking someone, although that had a more sketch like quality to it than the others. Still, it was the one that caught his attention.

A look at the desk revealed an older desktop computer, a sketchbook lying askew on the wood, and one pencil fallen on the floor. It wasn’t the only object there. Agron’s clothes were strewn across the floor, mingling with Nasir’s.

Instead of bothering to get them, he took Nasir’s advice and flopped back down onto the bed. So Nasir liked art? At least he didn’t have paintings of water lilies on his walls. Agron would never have let that one go.

He heard the water running from Nasir’s bathroom. He’d probably forgotten to close the door, given how loud it was, and Agron considered getting up and going in to join him. Sex was out of the question, obviously, but they’d had enough of it last night. He could step inside with him, wash the sweat from his body, kiss his skin and lips. It was a nice daydream, if nothing else. Nasir wanted him to stay in bed. So he did.

Just when he was on the verge of sleep, he heard the doorbell ring.

Shit.

Agron sat up and pushed himself off the bed, quickly collecting his clothes. He didn’t know who was visiting and he didn’t plan on leaving until they were gone or Nasir made a distraction, but he was not going to be caught naked if that didn’t work.

Nasir turned the water off and a few minutes later, after the doorbell rang a second time, he heard a voice that caused him to relax a fraction.

“You could have put some clothes on.” Through the door, Spartacus’s voice was faint but Agron recognized it.

He didn’t stop pulling his jeans on.

“You could have called before coming early.”

“It’s eleven.”

Agron opened the door just in time to clearly hear Nasir swear.

“I thought it was nine.”

“Long night?” Spartacus asked.

The door closed and Agron darted back inside the room to take his shirt and shove it on.

“I was going to make sure you didn’t crack a rib last night,” Spartacus continued.

“I would have noticed by now.”

“Looks like it.”

Yeah, judging by how many marks Agron had left behind, he was sure Spartacus could tell.

“I need to get dressed,” Nasir said and then his slow footsteps approached until he pushed the door open. He smiled at Agron, who noted that he was wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. “Hey.”

“I can stay here until he leaves.”

“He knows I slept with you. It doesn’t matter at this point.” Nasir went to his dresser to get clean clothes. He pulled his shirt on first, covering the bruises and marks on his torso but not the hickeys on his inner thighs. At least not until he grabbed a fresh pair of boxers and jeans and went to sit on the bed.

Agron noticed how slowly and stiffly Nasir moved. “The shower didn’t work.”

“It’s fine.” Nasir got into his boxers.

Agron watched as he fumbled with the jeans. “Do you need--”

“It’s fine,” Nasir repeated, neither harsh nor firm, simply tired. After a moment to brace himself, he pushed up off the bed. “Do you want to eat anything before you go?”

As if he was going to pass that up. “Sure.”

A smile pulled at Nasir’s lips. “Then let’s surprise Spartacus.”

Agron followed Nasir and once he walked down the hall he spotted Spartacus. His friend’s eyes widened momentarily, then he shook his head.

“I’m not your only company.”

Agron waved. “Good to see you too.”

Spartacus turned to Nasir. “Is this your way of saying I need to leave?”

“You can take it that way if you want.” Nasir’s voice was light.

“Call me when you’re ready to go over the fight and next time I’ll call you before coming over.”

Agron waited for Nasir to tell Spartacus that he didn’t have to go but he just nodded instead and soon Spartacus had been shown out the door, after he nodded goodbye to Agron and winked.

“Thanks for not kicking me out,” Agron said as Nasir returned.

“I’m not going to be rude. Do you want some coffee along with--” Nasir stifled a yawn. “Lunch?” he finished.

“Looks like you need it.” Agron ruffled Nasir’s hair.

Nasir rolled his eyes but still grinned up at Agron.

No matter what Agron might have hoped for, lunch was largely silent. He wasn’t feeling too tired but Nasir was drained. He asked again if he wanted a painkiller and Nasir just sipped his coffee and shook his head.

“I like your paintings,” Agron said, finally.

Nasir looked up at him.

“In your room,” Agron went on. “Especially the one where the guy’s beating the crap out of someone.”

Nasir laughed. “I’m not surprised. My friend Naevia painted that one. She saw me fight once and said it inspired her.”

Agron’s grin spread across his face. “I hope not the way it inspires me.”

“No, she found this other guy to inspire her. He’s a heavyweight. Crixus.”

“Crixus?” Agron gaped. “Did you introduce them?”

“They bumped into each other.” Nasir drank some more of his coffee.

“I’ll try not to kick his ass too bad next week.” Agron went to drink more, noticed his cup was empty, then went to the sink to rinse it out.

“You’re fighting him?”

Agron washed the cup out then looked for some place to set it before just deciding on the counter. “Yeah.” Just then he placed the emotion in Nasir’s voice and turned to face him, brow furrowing. “You’re worried? Have you seen how short he--”

Nasir glared.

“...Is. Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “Don’t be worried.”

“No one’s beat Crixus before.” Nasir’s tone was even.

“You don’t believe in me?” Agron teased but Nasir took it seriously.

He stood, walked over to Agron, and tugged on his shirt to get him to bend down. “Yes, I do,” he murmured against his lips before kissing him.

Agron waited for Nasir to pull away, which he did but not before one of Agron’s arms had wound around his waist.

“Nasir…” Agron started. “What is this? What are we--”

“Can we just go with it?” Nasir asked. “For now.”

If Nasir didn’t want a label or rules then he didn’t want them.

“Yeah.” Agron leaned in for another kiss.

“You need to--” Nasir’s lips found Agron’s. “Take a shower.”

“Yeah, you’re not up to doing anything first.” Agron brushed Nasir’s hair back.

“I want to.” Nasir brought his arms up around Agron’s shoulders but then hissed in pain.

“That’s what I thought.” Agron gently pulled Nasir’s arms away from him. “I’ll take that shower.” He kissed Nasir’s forehead.

Nasir didn’t complain. And that didn’t help Agron’s confusion.

 

Duro sat across from him, not so thoughtfully chewing on his chicken. Agron had burned dinner so they just went with take out. 

“I checked this guy, Crixus, out.”

“Looked him up,” Agron corrected his brother.

“Oh, shut up. I checked him out. You’re going to get the crap beat out of you.”

Agron rolled his eyes. “Thanks for your confidence in me, brother.”

“Whatever woman you’re seeing must be giving you too much confidence.” Duro reached over and flicked at Agron’s collar, exposing more of his neck and the hickey there. Agron hastily batted Duro’s hand away and jerked it back up.

“You know you never wear collars unless you’ve been making out or worse.”

“Worse? Is that attitude why you haven’t gotten laid in forever?” Agron shot back before tearing into another piece of chicken.

“Yeah, right.” Duro reached for Agron’s collar again and Agron smacked his hand away. “So,” Duro continued. “Is this someone I should know about?”

Agron swallowed the chicken he’d been chewing. “Know about?”

“Is this one person or more?” Duro leaned a little forward.

Agron shifted in his seat. “One person.”

“For how long?”

“A few months.” Agron wiped his fingers on his shirt. “It’s nothing serious.”

“What’s her name?”

Well, fuck.

“I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone. It’s a secret.”

“Oh shit, Agron.” Duro shoved his chicken away from him. “You don’t just get into a secret relationship and stick with it. She’s probably got a boyfriend and--”

“No, he doesn’t,” Agron said before he could stop himself.

Duro opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again to finally speak. “He?”

Agron chewed his bottom lip. “Yeah.”

“You’re bi?”

“Gay.” Agron corrected him.

“You’re gay,” Duro said flatly.

“I don’t know how you missed it.”

“Maybe because you never _told me._ ” Duro snapped.

Agron held up his hands. “I kept waiting for you to figure it out. I wasn’t subtle about it.”

Duro thought that over for a moment. “Oh fuck, you weren’t. But I thought you would tell me!”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t figure out how.”

“Except for telling me you’re fucking this random guy. At least now I know why you want to keep it a secret.” Duro folded his arms over his chest. “Is he another fighter?”

“I can’t talk about it.”

“So he is.” Duro scrubbed his face with his hand. “Fuck.” He placed his hands on the table and clasped them together as he leaned forward. His head bowed so far over the table he nearly reached his hands before he straightened. “You know I love you.”

Agron breathed again. “Yeah, I do.”

“Don’t keep anything more from me again, alright, fuckhead?”

“I promise.”

“Good.” Duro went back to eating. “And for the record, this chicken sucks.”

 

Before he retired, Spartacus had one of those odd rivalries with Crixus. Odd in that, while they hated each other, they’d never actually had the opportunity to beat the crap out of each other, at least officially. He spent days drilling Agron with the knowledge he knew of the man, then clapped his shoulder and wished him luck the night before. Nasir wished him the same as well, just in a different way.

Agron couldn’t help but grin as Nasir curled up next to him on the bed. He looped his arm around him to bring him even closer. There were trails of sweat down Nasir’s back but he didn’t mind that.

“God, you are the most amazing person.”

“Am I?”

Agron shifted his gaze from up at the ceiling to at Nasir. “Yeah.”

Nasir smiled at him and stroked his fingers up along his throat. “So are you.”

Agron kissed him before moving over him. He rolled Nasir onto his back. The kiss broke several times but each time Agron brought their lips together, Nasir always responding.

“What are you doing?” Nasir asked.

“If third time’s a charm, how much luck do you think I’ll get then?”

Nasir laughed, brought his hand up to Agron’s chin and kissed him again before pushing him away. “Once was enough. I’m not going to exhaust you.”

“I’ll still beat the crap out of him,” Agron assured Nasir as he went in for another kiss.

This time Nasir got his hands on Agron’s shoulders to hold him back. “Really, I should let you get some sleep.” Nasir rolled out from under Agron to grab some tissues.

Agron reached for his arm. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

When Nasir glanced over his shoulder, the look he gave Agron was distant before he smiled. “I don’t want to tempt you.”

The smile was too late though and Agron’s heart sank. If Nasir had changed his mind about moving forward, if they ever had been, then…

That was fine, he told himself.

Agron nodded. “Alright.”

He waited for Nasir to clean up, then waited for a kiss before Nasir got his clothes on. And after. He gave up when he saw Nasir head for the door… then he doubled back and bent down to bring his lips to Agron’s.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Agron buried his fingers in Nasir’s hair to keep him close for a while longer before Nasir slipped from his grasp.

“Good night,” was the last thing Nasir said to him before he left.

The mattress was still warm. That was one small comfort Agron had as he fell asleep.

 

Agron kept his eyes on Crixus as they waited for the match to begin. He felt himself grinning and Crixus returned it but just before the start, the fucker turned to the crowd.

“Shall we begin!”

Arrogant little shit. Agron was going to pound his face in. But as soon when he was finally able to charge him, Crixus was the one to land the first blow. It had enough force that it sent Agron reeling back. He aimed for Crixus’s stomach.

Crixus blocked. Then he got in another punch to Agron’s face. Blood trickled down from his nose and he took a step back to circle Crixus and give himself time to recover. His opponent didn’t allow him the moment he needed though. Crixus attacked again. This time Agron slammed his fist into Crixus’s face, following up with another blow only to get hammered by Crixus’s fists in return.

Agron lost track of how many times he had his legs almost swept out from under him or when he got hit but he knew there bruises forming along his stomach. His vision narrowed as the swollen flesh around his right eye blocked his view.

Crixus moved to strike him again. He raised up his hand to block and shift his stance to retaliate. The moment after that he was on the mat, midway through pushing himself up onto his feet, and the world swayed around him.

He focused on Crixus, attempting to come at him again but stumbling before falling to his knees.

It was over.

 

His trainer sent him home. Agron didn’t bother talking to either Nasir or Spartacus before marching to his car but as soon as he took a seat and put the keys in the ignition, he looked up and the world was still swaying like he was in the middle of a storm at sea.

He reached for his phone. He tried to text first. Then he gave up as he kept making mistakes and called.

Nasir answered. “Agron? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, fine,” Agron closed his eyes. “Can you take me home?”

Nasir didn’t say anything about anyone noticing Agron climb into his car. As soon as he was inside, Agron closed his eyes again and leaned his head back against the seat.

“I should stay with you tonight.” Nasir buckled his seatbelt then started the car.

“Great. You should,” Agron said faintly.

The movement of the car as Nasir pulled out made him gag.

“Agron?”

Agron placed his hand to his mouth. “Fuck, don’t move so fast.”

“I’m not…”

But the car felt like it was spinning and Agron along with it. He threw up.

“Shit!” Nasir swore. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“I’m fine. Shit, I’m sorry.” Agron heaved again.

“You’re going to the hospital,” Nasir said firmly.

Agron really wished he could stop vomiting long enough to answer.

 

After tests that made Agron’s head hurt, he was finally able to rest. Too bad it was a fucking hospital bed-- scratchy and stiff and he was wearing the least dignified robe known to man. When Nasir walked in to visit him, he was grateful he had the blanket pulled up over him because he looked like an idiot.

“What did the doctor say?” Nasir asked. He walked over to Agron’s bed but didn’t take a seat.

“I’m staying overnight for observation. I’d be just fine at home.”

“You have a bad concussion.”

“Yeah…” Agron rubbed his forehead. It didn’t get rid of the headache. “Sorry about your car.”

“It needed cleaning anyway.” Nasir smiled. “Did the doctor say anything else?”

Agron scowled, clenched his hand into a fist, and let it rest against his temple. Not unlike how he imagined it was when Crixus struck him. “I can’t fight again for at least a month.”

“I’d kill you if you tried.” Nasir finally went to one of the seats.

“With sex?”

“No, no sex. Don’t want the blood going to your head.” Nasir grinned.

“Which one--”

Duro’s voice interrupted them. “Agron, you idiot.”

Agron turned to see his brother, who had stopped and locked eyes with Nasir. He then looked at Agron, who shrugged.

“Nasir’s a friend,” he said.

“Friend? Right.” Duro’s voice was dry. “So you’re who my brother is--”

“Duro, shut up.” Agron snapped.

Nasir shot a curious glance over Agron’s way, who shook his head in return. He looked back over at his brother in time to see him, in return, looking back and forth between the both of them. There was a pronounced scowl on Duro’s face.

“It’s not any of your business,” Agron told him. “Can we get back to yelling at me for losing a fight?”

Nasir sighed and Agron just caught the sight of him shaking his head slightly out of the corner of his eye.

“You’re supposed to be the good one! Not the one to land up in the fucking hospital like--” _me,_ Duro didn’t finish but he didn’t need to.

“It won’t happen again,” Agron promised him.

“Fuck, Agron. You tell me I can’t fight then you go and do--”

Just as Duro’s voice increased in volume and Nasir began shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Spartacus interrupted them.

“I can hear you down the hall.” He stepped inside as he spoke. “Be quiet before the nurses come in and give your brother some rest.”

Duro shut his mouth and glared but didn’t protest. He did, however, fold his arms over his chest and lean against the wall. A dark look was shot Nasir’s way.

Great, this was just what he needed.

“Do you want me to take you home when you’re out?” Spartacus asked Agron.

“I’ll take him.” Duro was calmer now, if still seething. “I won’t yell.”

“Good.”

“You’ll have to wait until tomorrow,” Agron told him.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Duro said resolutely.

Glancing at Nasir, who had settled back in his seat with one leg folded over the other, it seemed that neither was he.

 

Agron didn’t remember much of what happened that night. At some point, early in the morning, Nasir mumbled something and he felt a hand slip through his own and squeeze it. But when he woke fully, it was just Duro there.

His brother drove him back to home. “I have to go to work,” he said once he’d forced Agron onto the couch. “Promise me you’ll have someone check on you before I get out.”

“Promise,” Agron mumbled. He might have been released from the hospital but his head hurt worse than ever.

“Where’s your tylenol?”

“Uhh.” Agron rubbed his temple. “Bathroom, in the mirror. I’ll get--”

But Duro had already disappeared and when he returned it was with the pill and a glass of water. “I’m looking after you this time.”

And that was literally what he did while Agron took the tylenol and drained the glass. “Do you have to go?” he asked when he was done.

“Yeah.” Duro didn’t move.

“Go on, idiot. I’m fine.”

“Sure, you are.” Duro smiled at him then. “You’d better sleep if you want to get those looks back. Nasir will never want to fuck you otherwise.”

“Oh, fuck off already,” Agron grumbled. He lay back on the couch.

“Exactly what I’ll do. See you at six.”

Agron was about to sleep when he realized there was something he should probably do. He removed his phone from his pocket and texted Nasir.

_out of the hospice_

“Fuck you, autocorrect,” he muttered.

_hospital_

He waited a while before receiving the reply from Nasir. _I hoped your condition wasn’t that bad. Can I visit?_

Agron smiled. _Now, please._

 

The first sign that Nasir was planning on staying for more than just a quick check in was that he’d brought a bag. The second was that he’d quickly gotten Agron off the couch and onto the bed. Agron tried grabbing Nasir’s shirt but he’d been swatted away.

“I can’t believe you want to have sex now.” Nasir sat on the bed, ass close to Agron’s side and he had a nice view of it from where he was lying down.

“I thought that’s why you came.”

“I’m not _coming_ any more. I’m here because you’ve got bruises all over you and a concussion that got you in the hospital. You’re not supposed to exercise with that and sex--” Nasir took Agron’s hand, which was steadily creeping toward his ass, and laid it over Agron’s chest. “Counts.”

“So you’re not here for sex?”

“You’re stuck on that.”

“I don’t see--” Agron didn’t finish that. Thinking hard made his head hurt.

_Can we just go with it?_ Nasir’s words echoed in his mind.

“O.K., no sex.”

“I’ll make up for it later. Right now, sleep.” Nasir grinned and pulled out a sketchbook from his bag.

“You didn’t mention you’re an artist.” Agron had his eyes on Nasir fingers as he retrieved a pencil as well and then let it hover over the paper.

“Tired of sleeping?”

“They kept waking me up last night.” Agron took his hand off his chest and lay it down by his side.

“I know. I was there.”

“So you’re an artist?” Agron asked, eager to shift the subject of conversation from that.

Nasir kicked off his shoes and shifted, turning to face Agron. The sketchbook remained balanced on his thigh. “One day, maybe. After I’m done beating the shit out of people.”

Agron grinned. “Are you ever going to be done with that?”

“After I’m done getting paid to beat the shit out of people.”

“God, you are amazing.” Agron breathed.

“The way you kept going after him? So are you.”

Agron’s grin widened. “Yeah…” he said, not so much in agreement but because he was at a loss of what else to say. “Moving on from fighting to painting for a living?”

“Not painting. Tattoos.” Nasir flipped through some of the pages in his book before he held it out for Agron.

On the page there were sketches of torsos, arms, legs, thighs-- each one covered in patterns, most of them abstract, some of them detailed sketches of scenes in miniature form.

“Damn. You’re great.” Agron didn’t take his eyes off the drawings, taking in each line and shaded area. “Are you going to get one of these?”

“Maybe…” Nasir leaned over to look at the sketches. “This,” he said pointing to a tattoo that stretched across the deltoid muscle.

Agron studied it. “It’s fucking amazing.” Then he looked up at Nasir and his eyes remained fixed on him. “You should make me one.”

“From scratch? How do you know you’ll like it?”

“I know I’ll love it.”

Nasir reached over and smoothed Agron’s hair back. “You’re not thinking right.” He teased.

“I’m thinking great. It just hurts when I do.” He turned his gaze back to the sketches. “Are there more?”

“Yeah, go on.”

Agron flipped through it, looking at every tattoo. “Good plan. You should make enough to keep you going. I have no idea what I’ll do after…”

“Work for me. You can be my receptionist.”

Agron had to take a break from looking, he was laughing so hard.

Nasir grinned at him. “I’ll blow you during your breaks.”

“You’ve actually made it tempting now.” Agron went back to turning the pages, then frowned as the next page.

There were no tattoos. This was a sketch of a child curled in on himself, knees brought up to his chest in the corner of a room. The next was of a man screaming, clawing at his face.

Agron wasn’t sure he wanted to know what the next page held.

Nasir glanced over at the sketchbook and froze. He grasped it and gently pulled it from Agron’s hands. He closed it.

“Sor--” Agron started.

“Sorry,” Nasir said tersely instead. “I forgot those were in there.” He placed the sketchbook back in his bag. “Do you need something to eat?”

Agron didn’t. “Yeah, just cereal or some shit.”

“I’ll get you some.” Nasir retreated for a much needed break, leaving behind his bag, which Agron didn’t touch.

 

They didn’t talk about what happened when Nasir got back. Agron didn’t ask about the drawings or Nasir’s reaction to them. Instead, they talked about other things until Agron needed to use the bathroom and shower. When he got back, Nasir had his sketchbook out again. Agron didn’t crane his neck to look.

“You can draw me,” he offered.

“Are we going to make it like that scene from the Titanic?” Nasir asked without looking up.

“Depends on if we can have sex in a car after.”

“No sex.” Nasir still didn’t look up but there was the curve of a smile on his lips.

“If we can’t have sex, can we make out?” he asked.

Nasir finally did look at him. “Agron, really?” He was still smiling.

Agron walked to the bed. “I’m ready.”

Nasir put his sketchbook away and crawled to Agron but as soon as Agron moved to kiss him, he was gone to Agron’s side. Arms wrapped around him to hold him.

“This is the most you’re getting for a few days.”

Agron closed his eyes and sighed. “Nasir, you are teasing me.”

“Do you mind?”

“No.” He didn’t mind even when Duro came back to check in on him.

At least his brother didn’t glare at Nasir this time.

 

Two weeks later and Agron didn’t strictly need anyone to check on him. As far as he was concerned, he hadn’t before, but he wasn’t going to complain that Nasir kept staying with him. He did keep insisting on no sex though so they spent most of the time talking and when Agron’s head hurt too much they’d sit in silence. Nasir would sketch as he was now, killing time with Agron until he had to leave for training.

“Have you drawn me yet?” Agron asked.

“Mhm.” Nasir replied.

“Not in bed?”

“I drew what you look like when you come,” Nasir spoke levelly.

Agron’s waited for him to laugh and when he didn’t, his jaw dropped.

Nasir glanced at him and laughed. “Did you really believe that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you draw everyone’s orgasm faces.”

“That would be interesting.” Nasir set down his pencil and flipped through the sketchbook until he found Agron’s drawing. “Here.” He held it out.

It was Agron mid swing at some guy, who was bruised and looked like he was about to go down. 

“I thought this is what you’d like best.”

“God, you know me.” Agron grinned. “I want to frame it.”

Nasir smoothly pulled at the page until it came free. “Here.”

Agron took it, stared at it for a while, then looked up. “You could draw my orgasm face too, you know.”

Nasir smiled at him, sly and playful. “Could I?”

“You have me curious. I could help you remember.” He leaned forward.

Nasir laughed and pushed him back. “Not for another week.”

“This isn’t fair.” Agron sulked until a thought occurred to him, one that had been haunting him for a while. He stiffened, made a failed attempt to force himself to relax, then cleared his throat. “Have you uhm--”

Nasir had just turned back to his sketches but he gave Agron a quizzical look at that. “Have I?”

“Slept with anyone else?”

Nasir’s eyes went blank.

“Because it’s alright. I know it’s just sex.” The instant he said that, Nasir’s expression turned hard. “I’m sorry, it’s--”

“You think this is just sex?” Nasir’s voice wasn’t flat. It held an undercurrent of frustration.

Agron wouldn’t say it was a flutter of hope he felt in his chest but it was some manner of hope. The problem was, it also coincided with a strong feeling that he’d really fucked up. “It’s not?”

“It’s-- no, it’s--” Nasir stumbled over his words. He opened his mouth but couldn’t get any more out before turning away and furrowing his brow. “You think I’d stay here if it’s just sex?”

“I thought friends with benefits.” Agron had no idea if that was going to make it better or worse. It seemed to do neither.

“I don’t know what it is.”

Christ, he’d had enough of this.

“What do you feel, then? Is it something or are you confused or--”

“Yes, I’m confused. I’m always fucking confused. I haven’t been with anyone who actually cares about me, Agron, or treats me like you do, or--” Nasir took a breath but when he continued his voice was just as tense, just as fast. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do or act or feel.”

Agron tried to speak but his words stuck in his mouth, unformed and unknown even to him. “Nasir--” he finally got out but nothing followed.

“Fuck.” Nasir pushed his hair back. “Sorry, I don’t know why I said that.”

_Because you let it boil up inside you until it came spilling out._

“It’s alright. I’d rather you tell me.”

Nasir closed his sketchbook. “I have a fight tomorrow. I should practice.” He started packing up.

Agron sighed. One day, he told himself, Nasir would stop closing himself off and this could actually stand a chance of working. He told himself.

Until then he was going to run into a brick wall over and over until he smashed it down. He’d live with the broken bones.

 

Agron wasn’t sure that Nasir wanted him at his match. He hadn’t told him not to go but after their fight, they hadn’t spoken. Which wasn’t that odd. Nasir had to be busy preparing. So Agron didn’t bother him. Or maybe he was too scared of what he would hear if he did. No, not scared. Nervous.

Agron waited through all the fights, not really taking them in as he used to. Everything was too loud. His headache was worse than it had been in a while. But when it was Nasir’s turn, his eyes were fixed on him. He was worried, but it was a dull sensation and he couldn’t pinpoint whether it was from the match or the fear that after it was over, that was it. There’d be yet more silence instead of the usual “your place” or, the one he didn’t expect to get again, “my place” from Nasir.

But about two minutes into the match he was cringing as Nasir’s opponent landed blow after blow, first to Nasir’s jaw, then his stomach, then a kick to his legs. Nasir recovered but he was moving slower. His guard was down.

Why the fuck was his guard down? He knew better. He _was_ better. The fuck was he doing?

Getting his ass handed to him, and not even by a superior opponent. This guy was mediocre.

Nasir hit the floor. But he got up again. He got up and punched the other man hard. Agron imagined he could hear the crack of bone as fist collided with ribs. And when one of them fell again, it wasn’t Nasir. He’d won.

Fucking barely.

 

Nasir sent him a text asking if he could come over, which made Agron breathe easier. When he did show up, he’d showered and the bruises that had been forming from the fight had now firmly established themselves on his face and, Agron imagined, the rest of him.

“What happened?” Agron asked.

“You were there,” Nasir grumbled as he stepped inside.

Ah, so Nasir had seen him. “That’s why I’m asking. You let your guard down. You didn’t hit where you should have. You never fucking _do_ that. What the fuck is--”

Nasir gave him a withering look and it struck Agron for the first time, what was so obvious it should have slapped him the moment Nasir’s face had been struck.

“God, Nasir, I didn’t mean to distract you. It was over that?”

Nasir rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand. “I was an idiot and I’m sorry.”

“Oh fuck, Nasir. Don’t apologize. Just sit down.” Agron didn’t speak again until they were situated on the couch. He would have preferred the bed but some place that intimate felt taboo right now, or else too pressing.

“I’m not good at talking about feelings.” Agron said eventually.

“Me neither.”

“We need to do it anyway.”

Nasir nodded but he didn’t speak for a while. When he did, his voice was quiet yet somehow carried through the room, or at least it washed over Agron with a loudness that stole his breath.

“I love you.”

It took Agron a moment to recover but then he smiled. It was weak but it was still a smile. “I love you, too.”

Nasir took a deep breath before he spoke. “If you want a relationship--”

“I do,” Agron interjected.

“So do I.”

Nasir voiced no protest when Agron moved to kiss him. He met him halfway.

 

“Agron, you are amazing.” Nasir nearly ripped off Agron’s shirt in his hurry to get it off.

Agron, flat on his back in Nasir’s bed, grinned up at him. “Am I really?”

“First fight back and the poor shit didn’t last ten minutes.” Nasir pulled his own shirt up over his head before tossing it aside.

Agron couldn’t stop smiling at his boyfriend and didn’t stop until he was inside him and the first gasp overtook him.

Nasir pinned him to the bed by his wrists but then he moved his hands to hold Agron’s and lace their fingers together. He brought himself down onto Agron’s cock and his eyes never left Agron’s.

“Shit,” Agron groaned. “I love you.”

Nasir laughed, then leaned over him and kissed him. They didn’t leave the bed until well into the next day.


End file.
